


How To Save a Life

by pepperpottsgoddessofmischief



Series: The Song of Achilles Playlist [1]
Category: The Song of Achilles - Madeline Miller
Genre: Delusions, M/M, POV Patroclus, present day, therapist
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-24
Updated: 2017-10-24
Packaged: 2019-01-22 11:52:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 487
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12480936
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pepperpottsgoddessofmischief/pseuds/pepperpottsgoddessofmischief
Summary: Achilles is having delusions of a past life, a war at Troy that never happened and deaths that are, in Patroclus' mind, made up.They go to see a therapist and Pat leaves him with a decision.Based off my series of works where short stories are written and worked around my playlist that most reminds me of this pairing.





	How To Save a Life

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoy

_‘Step one, you say we need to talk_

_He walks, you say "sit down" it’s just to talk_

_He smiles politely back at you_

_You stare politely right on through’_

* * *

 "You do know this is your delusion,"

I sigh, and the shrink finishes writing down what Achilles had just said. He grunts noncommittally and doesn’t give any further information, apart from to pull a face on my opinion of his past life.

"Achilles, there never was a ‘Trojan War.’ I was never killed in battle, you didn’t cry over my body. I’m here. I’m alive. Can you not believe that?"

* * *

  _‘Pray to God he hears you’_

* * *

 I reach my hand out to him and brush it against his cheek. He shivers. "I know the feeling, Pat. I remember how I died. I remember how every version of me has died. How...you died." His voice breaks and he stands, suddenly, walking to the window of the office, looking down into the busy streets of London. "Achilles," his shrink sighs calmly. "It was just a story, written thousands of years ago by Homer, who you and Patroclus are named after. That’s all." I follow him to the window and wrap my arms around his waist. "It’s just an

"Achilles," his shrink sighs calmly. "It was just a story, written thousands of years ago by Homer, who you and Patroclus are named after. That’s all." I follow him to the window and wrap my arms around his waist. "It’s just an overactive imagination," I whisper softly. "Please. Let her help you."

"I don’t need her help," Achilles answers with a venom in his voice I have never heard before.

It scares me and I take a step back.

* * *

  _‘Where did I go wrong?_

_I lost a friend, somewhere along in the bitterness_

_And I would have stayed up with you all night_

_Had I know, how to save a life’_

* * *

 "Then I give up Achilles!" My voice rises to a pitch I don’t recognise, his Doctor goes to cut in but I shut her off.

I need to say this.

* * *

  _‘As he begins to raise his voice,_

_You lower yours and grant him one last choice,_

_Drive until you lose the road or break with the ones you follow’_

* * *

 "If you don’t get this help then...I don’t know how long we will last. You’re killing me," I watch his reaction through tear clouded eyes.

"I need my Achilles back, not a man I don’t recognise, jumping at shadows from imagined terrors.

* * *

  _‘He will do one of two things,_

_He will admit to everything_

_Or he’ll say he’s just not the same_

_And you’ll begin to wonder why you came’_

* * *

 I take one last, longing look at his face, having pulled back from being wrapped around him during my speech,

"I’ll let you decide."

As I walk away, I watch his body go still.

I leave him to decide.

**Author's Note:**

> As you'll notice, I left this work specifically open-ended and non-descriptive, I wanted you as a reader to be able to think of this as you want while listening to the song, to imagine the two of them as you wanted to see them.  
> Let me know what you thought of it.  
> Thanks


End file.
